The first physician, Hippocrates, wrote "thy food shall be thy medicine." First published in 1981, Vegetarian Medicines looks at the long history of the therapeutic use of common foods, including such typical tablefare as spinach, apples, garlic and potatoes. The second section of the book looks at common ailments and the many foods that have been used against them, everything from horseradish for indigestion to garlic for colds. An illuminating review of the many ways people have used foods to improve health and fight disease over the past century.